There’s nothing like fresh garden vegetables this time of year, especially homegrown tomatoes. Our hot summer days make them so sweet and juicy!
While tomatoes may love the summer heat, most of us try to keep it out of our kitchens as much as possible. That’s where slow cookers come in handy. You can make great casseroles in a crockpot, avoiding using your oven and heating up the kitchen.
This recipe for Mexican Casserole Dish can be thrown together in no time, and then you let it cook on low for about five hours. Then, you need an additional hour or so after adding the instant rice so it is fully cooked and tender. You can set your slow cooker on high and make the dish in about half the time, but if you want all the spices to really blend together, then six hours is best.
When the casserole’s done, you might like to use some of those fresh tomatoes from your garden in a couple of homemade tacos to go with it.
MEXICAN CASSEROLE
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced fire roasted, diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh, chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Brown ground beef and onion in nonstick skillet, Combine all ingredients (except rice and cheddar cheese) in the slow cooker and cook on low about 5 hours.
Stir in rice, cover and cook about 1 more hour, or until tender.
Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.
Serve with dollop of sour cream. Makes 8 servings.
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